Feline Hurricane Refugees Aided by US Army and Alley Cat Allies

by Jim Davis

From the battle zones of Iraq and Afghanistan to the mean streets of flood-ravaged New Orleans, the soldiers of Alpha Company A have seen some of the worst that life has to offer.

Yet these battle-hardened soldiers proved to be soft touches when a stray kitten strolled their way.

The story took shape when Alpha Company A, a Tulsa-based unit attached to the 279 th Infantry, 45 th Brigade, was sent in to the heart of New Orleans as part of the massive relief effort following Hurricane Katrina.

“We came down here to do what we could do to help,” said Sgt. Chris French of Foyle, Okla.

What they didn’t expect was that some of their relief efforts would be aimed at kittens.

While on patrol, some members of the unit came across a kitten wandering the streets. They picked him up, and took him with them on the rest of their patrol. When they finished the day’s duties, they took him back to the St. Charles Street condominium that was serving as their base camp.

It wasn’t long before the cat had won over the hearts of many of the soldiers, who named him Lucky.

“He just kind of started coming up and the guys would give him little bits of MRE’s,” French said, referring to the Army’s Meals Ready to Eat. “It was like a piece of home.”

French, who just recently returned from Afghanistan, grew attached to the cat quickly, as did many of his fellow soldiers.

“That cat was super cool,” Sgt. Aaron Matheny of Pinedale, Wyo., agreed. Matheny, only recently returned from Iraq, said the kitten was a welcome diversion from the difficult job his unit faced. And while the cat was making an impression on the soldiers, they were making an impression on the volunteers who went to rescue the kittens.

“The soldiers all seemed like a great bunch of guys and were really into taking care of the cats,” said Kerry Moyers-Horton.

Rebecca Guinn, who was also part of the team that trapped the kittens, added, “The Army personnel were so willing to help. We were really heartened by the interest they took in the cats.”

Two other kittens eventually followed Lucky into camp, though they were shy by comparison to Lucky, who delighted the soldiers with his constant antics.

“He would try to crawl in our packs and try to go on patrol with us,” French laughed.

Matheny and French said Lucky was extremely approachable from the beginning, while the two kittens who followed him into the camp site were somewhat on the wild side.

“These two, we were just in the process of getting them warmed up,” French said.

But then the unit got its orders. One month to the day after they arrived, members of Alpha Company would be headed home. But what of Lucky and his buddies?

The story has a happy ending.

After Alley Cat Allies was contacted and had corralled all three kittens, they were removed to the safety of the ACA base camp in Bogalusa, La.

Two of the kittens are still being socialized, but will head to new homes in the not-too-distant future.

Volunteers and support for Alley Cat Allies rescue work in Louisiana are still needed.